Tag Archives: California

More than 4 feet of snow on the ground. That’s a lot of snow to shovel. In fact, 52 inches is the greatest snow depth ever recorded in New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service. Freehold: Ground zero for … Continue reading →

Do you have earthquake insurance? I do. It costs a couple hundred dollars a year and brings me peace of mind. That’s because at some point, perhaps soon, we’ll get an earthquake as strong as the 1884 temblor in the … Continue reading →

The enormous storm system that’s expected to reach us Sunday looks like a hurricane off California. “Yes, that energy will be our storm, and yes, quite impressive imagery,” according to a direct Twitter message I got from Gary Szatkowski, meteorologist … Continue reading →

New Jersey and the Northeast aren’t the only areas enduring extreme weather this winter. Much of the USA, the United Kingdom, European coastal areas, eastern Mongolia to eastern China, Australia, Argentina and Brazil have experienced extreme weather conditions this winter, … Continue reading →

If you live near coastal waters in New Jersey and haven’t started planning for sea level rise and extreme storm surges, now might be a good time to do so. About 155,000 people in New Jersey are living on land … Continue reading →

While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has yet to set a limit on perchlorate in drinking water, California and Massachusetts have adopted standards while New Jersey delayed approving one, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report. Perchlorate … Continue reading →

State officials finally weighed in on a big environmental issue last week, saying cooling towers should be built at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey to reduce its toll on fish and other organisms in Barnegat Bay. … Continue reading →

New Jersey dropped three places this year in an annual scorecard of state energy efficiency policies, programs and practices released today. The Garden State tied for 13th with New Hampshire in the 2009 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, down from 10th … Continue reading →

Giant snakes in the Garden State? By 2100, parts of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Colorado and Washington are projected to have suitable climates for the Indian or Burmese python, according to a new … Continue reading →

Up close and personal, the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch’’ isn’t pretty, according to Scripps Institution of Oceanography researchers. This month, they cruised to the patch – about 1,000 miles off the California coast – and collected samples of … Continue reading →

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Informing readers about environmental issues

About the Author

Todd B. BatesTodd covers the environment and severe weather for the Asbury Park Press, which he joined on Earth Day in 1985. He's covered myriad environmental, energy, health, weather and scientific issues since 1980. He's taken graduate-level courses in environmental health, environmental risk assessment and public health. Todd, a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service, is a member of the Investigations Team. Follow him at www.Twitter/ToddBBatesAPP, www.Facebook.com/ToddBBates, http://instagram.com/toddbbatesapp, www.toddbbatesapp.tumblr.com, or Google+ https://plus.google.com/+ToddBBates/E-mail Todd